Homosexual pornography being sold at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral (Catholic church)

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation held an art exhibition and auction last night at the conference center of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles to raise money for clinics it sponsors in Tijuana and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

A California Catholic Daily reader who saw a preview of the event on a Los Angeles television program alerted the newsaper via email regarding the event. "They showed some of the items, and it was really gross -- men hugging, tops bared, nude males back scenes," said the reader in the email.

The title for the event was “Amigos y Amantes” (Friends and Lovers).

“Showcasing the work of notable and emerging Latino artists, this lively celebration of Latino art and culture will take place on Saturday, February 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Conference Room in downtown Los Angeles. Entrance is $25.00 and includes complimentary appetizers and no host bar,” said an AIDS Healthcare Foundation flyer promoting the event.

Among the artists whose works were on display were Joey Terrill and Miguel Angel Reyes. A biography on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation website has this to say of Terrill: “a man whose art and identity -- as a Latino, a gay man, a person living with HIV, an activist and an artist -- have always been closely connected. Several of Joey’s paintings, which often document his relationships with friends, lovers and family, will be up for auction as part of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s art exhibition and fundraiser to benefit its free AIDS treatment clinics in Mexico.”

And, of Reyes, the website offers this insight: “Miguel counts as a primary influence his friendship with Morris Kight, gay civil rights pioneer and AIDS activist, whom many consider to be the founder of the West Coast gay rights movement. When they met, Morris was older than Miguel by more than forty years.

“When asked about his current projects, Miguel offers: ‘I’m working on a series of drawings of men grooming -- combing their hair, taking a shower, drying themselves. Simple, everyday actions.’ He adds with a laugh, ‘Naked, of course.’”